Migration Platform Survey 2024
What current needs of researchers are being unmet? How could they be better addressed?
About the Migration Platform Survey
We are fielding a survey to understand the needs and desires of migration researchers. Because research in this field has grown exponentially in the past few years, we've seen the struggles that migration researchers have in communicating with one another about their work, finding research relevant to their studies, and accessing information about tools that might make their research easier. Although not all of these challenges in the field can be amended, we hope to create a platform for migration researchers to communicate with one another and find access to data and scholarship related to their studies more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you select me to participate in this survey?
You have been selected to participate in this study because we found at least one research article you published on the subject of human migration within the past 5 years. Your participation is essential to ensure that our survey results accurately represent the diverse experiences and viewpoints of migration researchers.
How did you find my email?
We identified potential respondents for the Migration Research Survey through a search of the Scopus citation database for co-authors of articles related to human migration. Specifically, we searched for articles with keywords related to human migration (e.g., immigration, migrants, refugees.). We added sub-searches on migration and conflict, and migration and climate to gather contact information from researchers studying migration related to conflict and climate change. Because these sub-searches could result in non-human migration (migration related to animals and other non-human subjects), we extracted such articles with additional keywords associated with non-human migration.
If you do not conduct research related to human migration, including its causes and consequences, please contact us at migration@aiddata.wm.edu and we will remove your contact information from our sample.
Who is administering this survey?
This survey is being implemented and hosted by AidData, a research lab in the Global Research Institute at William &Mary.
Who will use the data collected in this survey?
Independent analysis of the survey results will be conducted by researchers from AidData and Aptima. In addition to learning more about the field of migration to improve the migration research platform, we will use data from this survey to improve our system to recommend potential data, methods, and collaborators to migration researchers.
Who will be able to see my responses?
All of your responses to this survey will be anonymous. The questionnaire for this survey does not contain direct or indirect identifiers that could connect you with your responses. The survey findings cannot be associated with your name, email, or organization.
The AidData and Aptima research teams will have access to data from this survey for reporting and use for development of the migration platform. The Aiddata and Aptima research teams may also collaborate with other researchers on additional analysis of data from this survey.
How will this survey help my research?
The survey is designed to help understand the biggest needs and challenges researchers studying human migration face with respect to data, methods, and collaboration.. We intend to incorporate the feedback from these survey responses into the design and function of the platform for migration researchers.
Do you offer a printable or paper copy of the survey questionnaire?
We do not. The questions we pose to survey participants are tailored to their individual experiences. While an active and responsive online questionnaire design allows for this type of customization, a traditional paper questionnaire does not. For this reason, we can provide only an online questionnaire, and we encourage you to complete the survey via the link provided in the email you received. Further questions about questionnaire access or technical difficulties can be addressed to migration@aiddata.wm.edu.
Partnership for the Study
AidData, an International Development Research Lab housed within the College of William & Mary’s Global Research institute, is partnering with Aptima, Inc., to develop this platform. The funding for this project came through an STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant from the United States Department of Defense. As part of this, The Department of Defense may request access to the dataset, but will never have access to any identifiable information.
More Ways to Get Involved
After we finish conducting this survey, we will incorporate the results into the design of the migration research platform. We will begin recruiting focus groups to further develop the platform at this stage. We also intend to seek beta testers once the platform is further in the development stages. If you are interested in participating in the development of the platform in either way, please write to our team at migration@aiddata.wm.edu so that we can add your name and email to the potential list of participants in these stages.
About AidData
AidData is an independent research lab at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. AidData produces policy-relevant research that speaks to contemporary international problems and issues. AidData has an established track record of administering high-quality, cross-national surveys in over 147 countries. You can find more information about AidData at www.aiddata.org.